The Internet tells everyone when it’s your birthday

July 18th, 2008 | Writing

I forget sometimes how much random information is floating around out there. Pretty much every website that requires registration for anything has some sort of age verification system, even if that merely consists of entering a birthdate the user has just made up in order to fit the site’s requirements. Nevertheless, I can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by the number of undoubtedly heartfelt birthday wishes I’ve received in my email box from organizations as disparate as the prestigious Glenlivet Society and the Comic Book Resources forums, and no less than six identical (though I’m sure equally sincere) ecards exhorting me to “have a rockin’ good time” from someone named Keith Kehrer whom I’m fairly sure I’ve never heard of before. Rest assured each of these birthday wishes is appreciated by me, in proportions equivalent to the amount of thought and sentiment that was put into each message.